'Tis the Season for Vanilla, the Plastic Snowman

The holidays bring a mixed bag of eager anticipation for Christmas morning along with a lump-0f-coal funk stemming from work, shoppers and ghosts of Christmas past. This year's no different. Once again, stores started playing holiday tunes just a wee bit earlier, Thanksgiving snuck up just a wee bit faster, and I find myself with a wee bit more funk ...which means the inevitable "your year is ending" holiday is just around the corner.

Usually the holiday spirit doesn't kick in until I walk out of the building on my last day of work day for the year. However, this year, thanks to a snowman and some Yamaha electric organs, I'm finding my grinchiness lifting about a week ahead of schedule. Enter: Logan Whitehurst & the Junior Science Club.

Picture one man (Logan Whitehurst), a plastic snowman (Vanilla), several instruments (including an accordion and a concertina) delivering a CD full of songs about plate tectonics, the ocean, 'The Robot Cat' ...

When I say Ro, you say Bot.
Ro. Bot.
Ro. Bot.
When I say Bot, you say Cat.
Bot. Cat.
Bot. Cat.

And, of course, 'The Ice Cream Man.' (I should mention, there are whispering voices in this song and it does not look good for the Ice Cream Man, nor the Popcorn man for that matter.)

I hadn't listened to this album in well over a year but earlier this week I went to the wall of CDs and pulled it out. Somehow, this is the CD that is putting me in the the spirit and leading me to shake off the work baggage in favor of tree trimmings.

A Somber Note: While writing this post and searching for the appropriate links, I was saddened to read that Logan Whitehurst passed away 5 days ago. He completed his Very Tiny Songs project which I hope to get as soon as it's available.

Goodbye, My 4-Track.

Random Report ...

Day 5 of 'play all' and I was delivered this on the drive home last night:

• Lime Spiders
• Elvis Presley
• Sarah Vowell

The joy of shuffle.

Jesus vs. The Penguins

So claimed the headline on Moviefone today. But did I spend my Friday night watching an ancient birthday party? No. Did I spend the end of my week watching small, flightless birds dance? No. Instead, I planted myself on the couch and watched a 2 hour and 48 minute musical about the congressional fight over and final signing of the Declaration of Independence. Fresh from the New York stage and coming to a silver screen near you in 1972 ... it's 1776!

Watching the movie felt like the right way to wrap up a week spent listening to Sarah Vowell's The Partly Cloudy Patriot while trying to avoid idiots in BMWs on my daily commute. Not only did I get a refresher course in early American history and catch a clue as to why Virgina "is for lovers" but I also learned something new while watching 1776 ... Benjamin Franklin reminds me of my Grandpa.

Thanks, Howard Da Silva.